Questions and Answers Table of Contents
What are the basic steps in preparing an electronic
application?
Always apply
in response to a funding
opportunity announcement (FOA) by downloading and filling out
the application package associated with it. Follow these steps:
- Find a FOA in Grants.gov or
on the NIH Funding Opportunities Relevant to NIAID. For
help, see What's the best way to find NIH funding opportunities?
- If your institution does not have its own system and you are applying
directly through Grants.gov:
- Download the announcement-specific application package from Grants.gov (or
use your organization's own system) by selecting the "Apply
for Grant Electronically" button at the bottom of the FOA page.
- Read the NIH Guide announcement associated with the FOA for opportunity-specific instructions, and the Application Guide for general instructions.
Find a sample Grant Application Guide.
- Begin preparing your application:
- Undergo any internal reviews required by your organization.
- Have your authorized organizational representative (AOR) submit your completed application to Grants.gov before 5:00 p.m. your institution's local time on the due date.
- Correct any errors from the Grants.gov validation and ask your AOR to submit it to Grants.gov again.
- Once your application passes Grants.gov validation, it moves automatically to the Commons.
- Correct any errors from the Commons validation and ask your AOR to submit it to Grants.gov again.
- Once your application passes Commons validation, you and your Commons signing official will review the image.
- Your Commons signing official has two days to reject the application image before it moves to NIH review.
When do I use an NIH parent versus an NIAID announcement?
See When do I use an NIH parent versus an NIAID announcement? in the Funding Opportunity Announcements questions and answers.
What is NIAID's approach to program announcements?
See What is NIAID's approach to program announcements? in the Funding Opportunity Announcements questions and answers.
Why should I read the statement of interest for a parent PA?
See Why should I read the statement of interest for a parent PA? in the Funding Opportunity Announcements questions and answers.
How do I download an application package?
Here's the process in Grants.gov:
- After selecting a funding opportunity announcement, click the "How to Apply" button at the top
right of the page.
- Click the "Download" link in the "Instructions and Application" column.
- Click "Download Application Instructions" for the instructions or
"Download Application Package" for the forms.
For technical information, see How do I know if my computer is compatible?
Some forms are mandatory and some optional
-- how do I know which to use?
When you access a funding opportunity
announcement in Grants.gov, you'll
see a screen with boxes containing mandatory and optional forms, called
components.
You must complete all mandatory components, and you may have to complete some of the optional ones. "Optional" does not always mean you can opt out. Read the NIH Guide announcement to see which forms are required.
Grants.gov will not check that you have the correct optional budget form -- be sure to pick the right one. Get more information in Part 6. Other Application Sections in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Why are some forms called SF 424 and others PHS 398?
When you view a funding
opportunity announcement,
you'll see Grants.gov SF 424 forms, which are used by many federal agencies, and others
that add information
NIH
needs.
When it adapted to the Grants.gov system, NIH retained the
name PHS 398 for these electronic forms, which include the Modular
Budget, Research Plan, and Cover Letter File.
Find related information in General Application Information and Why doesn't the SF 424 always
match NIH's requirements? below.
Where can I get help filling
out forms?
You can get different forms of help:
Why doesn't the SF 424 always
match NIH's requirements?
The SF
424 and the associated Research and Related forms are government-wide. Many agencies use them, so they don't necessarily correspond to NIH's needs.
For example, the Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile lets you attach a "Current and Pending Support" file, but NIH does not want you to submit that attachment.
There are only a few cases of mismatch -- see What are the most common errors people make when filling out the forms? below.
The CFDA number in the FOA looks wrong,
what should I do?
If you see an inaccurate Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number in the funding opportunity announcement, just ignore it. NIH will change it
later.
Are there restrictions on file name
formats?
Yes. You can use letters of either case, numbers, hyphens,
and underscores. We don't recommend using other characters or spaces in file
names; most are not allowed.
Do PDFs have special formatting requirements?
Yes. Here they are:
- Do not use editable fields.
- When using Adobe Acrobat, turn signature off when creating originals.
- Do not submit protected documents; do not select any security settings.
Can I submit my budget as a PDF attachment?
No. You must use one of the "optional" budget form components.
How should I create my Research Plan?
There's a knack to creating the attachments for the Research Plan. See our Part 5. Research Plan in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
How will I sign my application?
See How will I sign my application? in General Application Information.
What publications or manuscripts are
appropriate to send in my appendix?
Find that information on If You Need an
Appendix in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Why can't I enter the entire federalwide
assurance in the human assurances number field?
Enter only the numeric part, e.g., 00012345, which fits
the 10-character field in
the Other Project Information form.
What are the most common errors people make when filling out the
forms?
Go to NIH's Avoiding
Common Errors.
What are the final steps before submission?
Here are the last steps you need to complete before your Grants.gov authorized organizational representative (AOR) can submit your Grant Application Package for you.
- Make sure all required forms are complete and in the submission box.
- Test your application package by
clicking the "Check for Errors" button, and fix any errors.
- After you have done this, the submit button becomes active (though you can't submit yourself). Save a backup copy of the application to your local drive.
- Be sure you file a signature assurance with your organization each time you apply.
- Contact your AOR -- see How do I submit my application to Grants.gov? -- to continue applying.
Where can I find more questions and answers about grant applications?
See Submitting and Validating Your Electronic Application for the next set of questions and answers on electronic grant applications. Also go to Applying for a Grant, Writing
a Great Grant Application,
and other Application questions
and answers.
What if my question wasn't answered here,
or I'd like to suggest a question?
Email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with
this link and your question or suggestion. We answer questions by
email and post them here. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand
our knowledge base. |